"This trip was a rare opportunity to pair the educational with the adventurous,” says Indré Rockefeller, co-founder of the luggage company Paravel, who just returned with her husband from a two-week Antarctic cruise with Quark Expeditions. “We had scientists showing us the effects of climate change. It was hugely motivating. As soon as I got back, I sat down with my business partner to set an even bolder sustainability program at our company.”

How did this trip come about?It's been on the bucket list. This itinerary was organized in part by the Nature Conservancy, so we were on board with glaciologists, biologists, historians, and climate scientists. Their lectures provided wonderful context for what we were experiencing.

Which was?An ecosystem that's so fragile and pristine. We'd take Zodiac rides to shore to see penguins and hike up glaciers. We saw humpback whales, chinstrap penguins, orcas, and leopard seals. I even did a polar plunge.

How was the ship?I was so impressed by its ability to navigate the Drake Passage from Argentina to Antarctica. As we were battling 25-foot waves, my husband and I made our way up to the top deck, overlooking the bow, and clung to the rail as the boat flew into the air and went crashing back into the water. It was thrilling, if not a bit crazy.